Handheld exfoliating device

ABSTRACT

A skin removal device includes a housing having a handle portion, a drum assembly coupled to the handle portion and including a drum, the drum having an abrasive outer surface configured to abrade skin of a user during rotation of the drum, and an electromechanical drive system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to rotate the drum. The drum assembly is moveable in a lateral direction relative to the handle portion to enable insertion and removal of the drum assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/449,567, filed Mar. 4, 2011, which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of exfoliatingdevices. The present disclosure relates specifically to a handheldexfoliating device.

Outer layers of skin may be removed for a variety of reasons and in avariety of ways. Generally, exfoliation is the removal of dead skincells from the skin's outer most layers and is part of many cosmetictechniques and procedures. Exfoliation can occur via mechanical removalof the skin, typically by rubbing the skin with an abrasive material.For example, during a pedicure, dead skin from the bottom of the feetmay be removed using a pumice stone. Chemical exfoliant productscontaining various chemicals such as, salicylic acid, glycolic acid,fruit enzymes, citric acid, or malic acid, can also be used duringexfoliation.

Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to improvedexfoliating devices and related methods.

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a skin removal device comprising a housingcomprising a handle portion; a drum assembly coupled to the handleportion and comprising a drum having an abrasive outer surfaceconfigured to abrade skin of a user during rotation of the drum; and anelectromechanical drive system disposed at least partially within thehousing and configured to rotate the drum; wherein the drum assembly ismoveable in a lateral direction relative to the handle portion to enableinsertion and removal of the drum assembly.

Another embodiment relates to an exfoliating device comprising a housingcomprising a handle portion and a mounting bracket extending from thehandle portion; a drum assembly coupled to the handle portion andcomprising a cylindrical drum having an abrasive outer surfaceconfigured to abrade skin of a user during rotation of the drum, thedrum comprising an antimicrobial agent; a drive system disposed at leastpartially within the housing and configured to rotate the drum.

Another embodiment relates to a skin removal device comprising a handleportion; a mounting bracket coupled to the handle portion and havingfirst and second lateral sides; and a drum assembly rotatably coupled tothe mounting bracket, the drum assembly comprising a drum configured torotate relative to the mounting bracket, the drum comprising anantimicrobial agent; wherein the drum assembly is insertable andremovable in a lateral direction adjacent at least one of the lateralsides of the mounting bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This application will become more fully understood from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handheld exfoliating device accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the exfoliating device of FIG. 1showing a cross-section of a portion of the motor head assembly takenalong line AN-AN shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the exfoliating device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a motor head assembly for use with anexfoliating device according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the motor head assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the motor head assembly of FIG. 4 takenalong line A-A shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the motor head assembly of FIG. 4 shownfollowing assembly.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the motor head assembly of FIG. 7 showinga partial cut-away view of a exfoliating head, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the exfoliating deviceof FIG. 1 taken along line AM-AM in FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is flow diagram showing assembly of an exfoliating device,according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before turning to the Figures, which illustrate the exemplaryembodiments in detail, it should be understood that the presentapplication is not limited to the details or methodology set forth inthe description or illustrated in the Figures. It should also beunderstood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and illustration only, and should not be regarded aslimiting.

Referring to FIG. 1, a skin removal device for removing outer, dead skincells, shown as exfoliating device 10, is depicted according to anexemplary embodiment. Exfoliating device 10 may be configured forvarious cosmetic treatments or procedures involving skin removal. Forexample, exfoliating device 10 may be a pedicure device configured toremove skin from a person's foot. However, in other embodiments,exfoliating device 10 may be configured to remove skin from other partsof the body (e.g., hands, face, etc.). All such applications of device10 are within the scope of the present disclosure. In the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 1-9, exfoliating device 10 is a handheld, electric orautomatic exfoliating device in which the exfoliating motion is suppliedby an electro-mechanical drive mechanism (e.g., an electric motor,etc.). In other embodiments, exfoliating device 10 may be a manual,handheld exfoliating device in which the exfoliating action is providedmanually. In yet another embodiment, exfoliating device 10 may be acombination manual, electric exfoliating device.

According to an exemplary embodiment, exfoliating device 10 includes ahousing 12. Housing 12 generally supports and provides mounting for thevarious components of exfoliating device 10. In one embodiment, housing12 defines a handle portion 14 and a head mounting bracket 16. Handleportion 14 is shaped to provide a comfortable gripping structure toallow a user to hold and to manipulate exfoliating device 10 during use.Handle portion 14 includes a pair of opposite lateral sides that mayinclude various griping features to facilitate grasping of handleportion 14 (e.g., a raised, textured surface that also facilitatesgripping, a compliant rubber-type material that facilitates gripingwhile the rest of handle 14 is formed of a rigid material the providesthe overall shape and rigidity to handle 14, etc.). Lateral grippingsections may make holding handle 14 easier due to the increased frictionbetween the user's hand and the compliant material of the lateral gripsections.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, handle 14 is shaped such that thelateral surfaces of handle portion 14 are concave and curve inwardlytoward the central portion of handle 14. Thus, in this embodiment,handle 14 includes a reduced diameter portion spaced below head mountingbracket 16. Located at the lower end of handle 14 is a battery door 28that provides access to batteries that provide power to exfoliatingdevice 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, handle 14 of exfoliating device 10 includes a frontsurface 30, and an activation switch 32 is positioned along frontsurface 30. Activation switch 32 may be toggled between on and offpositions, allowing the user to activate and deactivate exfoliatingdevice 10. Activation switch 32 is positioned along front surface 30between the lateral sides of handle portion 14 such that the user mayaccess activation switch 32 with the user's fingers or thumb whilehandle portion 14 is grasped within the user's hand. In one embodiment,activation switch 32 may be positioned within a recess (not shown)formed in front surface 30 of handle 14 such that the outer face orsurface of activation switch 32 is recessed below front surface 30 ofhandle 14, which may make inadvertent actuation of activation switch 32less likely.

Referring to FIG. 1, mounting bracket 16 extends from an upper end orportion of handle 14. Mounting bracket 16 is coupled to and supports amotor head assembly 36. As best seen in FIG. 3, in one embodimentmounting bracket 16 is a generally straight mounting bracket generallyaligned with the upper portion of handle portion 14. In otherembodiments, mounting bracket 16 may be a curved or bent member andinclude a lower section and an upper section positioned at an anglerelative to the lower section (e.g., at an angle between about zerodegrees and 90 degrees, specifically between about 15 degrees and 45degrees, and more specifically between about 25 degrees and 35 degrees).The shape and size of mounting bracket 16 may be selected to facilitatethe positioning of the exfoliating portion of motor head assembly 36against the user's skin during exfoliation.

Referring further to FIG. 1, in one embodiment motor head assembly 36 iscoupled to and rigidly supported by mounting bracket 16 such that a usergrasping handle 14 is able to manipulate and position motor headassembly 36 during use. Motor head assembly 36 includes a housing 42that generally provides support for the components of motor headassembly 36. Motor head assembly 36 also includes a mounting post 44extending from one of the lateral sides of motor head assembly 36.Mounting bracket 16 includes an aperture 46 that receives mounting post44. Aperture 46 facilitates location of motor head assembly 36 relativeto mounting bracket 16 during assembly and also provides engagement thatsubstantially fixes motor head assembly 36 in place relative to mountingbracket 16.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, motor head assembly 36 includes an exfoliatinghead or drum assembly 49. Exfoliating head assembly 49 includes anexfoliating head, shown as drum 48, and an end hub 78 coupled to one ofthe lateral ends of drum 48. Drum 48 is the rotating element ofexfoliating head assembly 49 and is rotatably coupled to end hub 78. Inthe embodiment shown, drum 48 is a cylindrical structure that isrotatably mounted such that drum 48 is allowed to rotate relative tohousing 42 of motor head assembly 36. When motor head assembly 36 iscoupled to mounting bracket 16 as shown in FIG. 1, at least a portion ofdrum 48 is positioned above the upper end of mounting bracket 16 andlocated at the upper end of exfoliating device 10. Drum 48 includes anouter surface 50 configured to remove or abrade (e.g., grind, pulverize,etc.) skin, providing the exfoliating functionality of exfoliatingdevice 10. In one embodiment, head assembly 49 and/or drum 48 areconfigured to be inserted and/or removed in a lateral direction,permitting the drum or its outer surface to be cleaned, maintained,replaced, etc.

In one embodiment, abrasive outer surface 50 may be or include a coatingand may be formed by embedding or affixing a gritty material, such aspumice, directly to the outer surface of drum 48. In another embodiment,a sheet of abrasive material (e.g., a sandpaper material) may be adheredto drum 48 to form outer surface 50. In another embodiment, exfoliatingdevice 10 may include a plurality of drums 48 each having differentabrasive outer surfaces 50 providing different levels of coarseness orabrasiveness. In this embodiment, the user may select and install a drum48 depending on the user's desire or need for a particular use. Further,as explained in more detail below, motor head assembly 36 may beconfigured to allow the user to easily switch or replace drum 48 ofmotor head assembly 36.

According to various exemplary embodiments, outer surface 50 may includean anti-microbial and/or anti-bacterial substance or agent 51 (e.g., acompound, a powder, etc.) configured to inhibit the growth ofundesirable microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, etc. Agent 51 may beprovided as a part of the coating formed on outer surface 50 of drum 48.For example, in some embodiments, agent 51 may be mixed with an abrasivematerial and the mixture subsequently coated or otherwise applied todrum 48. According to one embodiment, agent 51 makes up betweenapproximately 1-12 percent of the coating of outer surface 50, while inother embodiments relatively more or less of agent 51 may be utilized.In yet further embodiments, agent 51 may be applied to the surface ofthe coating (e.g., sprayed, brushed, sifted, etc.) or integrated intothe coating on drum 48 using any of a variety of other alternativemethods (e.g. adhesives, etc).

According to one embodiment, agent 51 is a powder (e.g., a solid).According to other embodiments, other types of agents may be used,including liquids, semi-solids, pastes, etc. The type and/or amount ofagent utilized may be varied based on the intended usage of theexfoliating device (e.g., based on what part of the body the device isintended to be used, etc.) and/or other factors.

As shown in FIG. 1, exfoliating device 10 may also include a cover 62that is configured to be coupled to mounting bracket 16 to partiallyencloses portion of motor head assembly 36. Cover 62 provides protectionto drum 48 and covers outer surface 50 of drum 48. In this manner, cover62 limits inadvertent contact with drum 48 when exfoliating device 10 isnot in use. Cover 62 may be secured to mounting bracket 16 via apress-fit engagement or other suitable coupling (e.g., snap-fit,friction fit, indents/detents, etc.).

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, motor head assembly 36 is shown disconnectedfrom mounting bracket 16. According to an exemplary embodiment, anelectro-mechanical drive system is utilized to rotate drum 48. Forexample, in one embodiment motor head assembly 36 may include anelectric motor 52, a series of gears 54, and a drive shaft 56. Drum 48includes a cavity 64 defined within the body of drum 48, and drive shaft56 includes a first end 70 and a second end 72. Drive shaft 56 isreceived within cavity 64 of drum 48, and second end 72 is the free endof drive shaft 56 that is located within cavity 64. Gears 54 are coupledto an output shaft of electric motor 52 and to first end 70 of driveshaft 56. Gears 54 transmit rotational motion from electric motor 52 todrive shaft 56. Drum 48 is rigidly coupled to drive shaft 56 such thatrotation of drive shaft 56 causes a corresponding rotation of drum 48.

In use, upon a user activating device 10 (e.g., buy activation of witch32), motor 52 causes drum 48 to rotate, and the user places the abrasiveouter surface 50 of drum 48 in contact with skin that the user wishes toremove. As drum 48 rotates, outer surface 50 of drum 48 rubs or abradesthe outer layer of the user's skin resulting in removal of dead skincells.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, motor head assembly 36 includes a supportbracket 58. Exfoliating head assembly 49 is supported by support bracket58 and drive shaft 56. In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, drive shaft 56supports one end of exfoliating head assembly 49 via the couplingbetween drum 48 and drive shaft 56. The other end of exfoliating headassembly 49 is supported via contact between end hub 78 and supportbracket 58. As shown in FIG. 8, support bracket 58 includes an arcuateupper surface 74 shaped to match the curve of an outer surface of endhub 78 providing a support surface that partially surrounds a portion ofend hub 78.

As noted above, the engagement between drive shaft 56 and drum 48 formsa rigid connection such that rotation of drive shaft 56 causes acorresponding rotation of drum 48. As shown in FIG. 8, cavity 64 of drum48 forms an opening 66 through one of the lateral faces of drum 48, andcavity 64 extends at least part of the way through drum 48. End 72 ofdrive shaft 56 is sized to form a press-fit or friction fit engagementwithin cavity 64 of drum 48. In another embodiment, end 72 of driveshaft 56 includes one or more projecting elements configured to engagecooperating recesses within cavity 64 to ensure transfer of rotationalmotion of drive shaft 56 to drum 48. In one such embodiment, end 72 maybe sized to form a snap-fit engagement within cavity 64.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the end of drum 48 opposite opening 66 iscoupled to end hub 78 via a shaft 80. Shaft 80 is rigidly connected toend hub 78, and drum 48 is rotatably connected to shaft 80. Thus, asdrum 48 is rotated by drive shaft 56, drum 48 rotates relative to shaft80 and end hub 78. In another embodiment, shaft 80 is rotatably coupledto end hub 78 and is rigidly connected to drum 48. Thus, in thisembodiment, as drum 48 is rotated by drive shaft 56, both drum 48 andshaft 80 rotate together relative to end hub 78.

To allow drum 48 to rotate, a second support bracket 68 (see FIG. 9) isconfigured such that drum 48 is permitted to rotate relative to thesecond support bracket 68. Second support bracket 68 is configured torotatably support drive shaft 56 and facilitate rotation of drum 48relative to second support bracket 68. In one embodiment, second supportbracket 68 is shaped to be slightly larger than the diameter of drum 48.In a further embodiment, second support bracket 68 may include a recess(not shown) to provide a rotational bearing surface allowing drum 48 tospin or rotate freely within the recess.

In one embodiment, drive shaft 56 is permanently coupled to gears 54,and exfoliating head assembly 49, and specifically drum 48, is removablycoupled (i.e., not permanently coupled to) to drive shaft 56. Thisconfiguration allows exfoliating head assembly 49 to be removed andreplaced while drive shaft 56 remains in place coupled to gears 54. Thisallows the user to switch between drums having different abrasionproperties by exchanging the exfoliating head assembly 49 currentlycoupled to motor head assembly 36. This configuration also allows forthe replacement an old drum 48 with an exfoliating head assembly 49having new drum 48 without requiring drive shaft 56 to be decoupled frommotor head assembly 36. Because drive shaft 56 remains coupled to gears54 after exfoliating head assembly 49 has been removed (as shown in FIG.8), drive shaft 56 may act as a locating feature helping the user toalign the new exfoliating head assembly 49 during assembly to ensure itis properly installed relative to motor head assembly 36. Further,exfoliating head assembly 49 may be easier to manufacture and lessexpensive than a head assembly having a permanently attached driveshaft.

Referring to FIG. 9, a cross-section of motor head assembly 36 is showncoupled to mounting bracket 16. As shown in FIG. 9, a spring 60 iscoupled to the lower end of support bracket 58, and when motor headassembly 36 is coupled to mounting bracket 16, a spring 60 is engagedbetween support bracket 58 and an inner surface of mounting bracket 16.In this manner, spring 60 biases drum 48 upward to assist in maintainingcontact between outer surface 50 of drum 48 and the user's skin duringuse.

Referring to FIG. 10 a method of assembling an exfoliating device isshown according to an exemplary embodiment. At step 100, a motor headassembly is provided. The motor head assembly includes a housing and adrive shaft supported by the housing. The drive shaft is coupled to amotor via gears such that the motor causes rotation of the drive shaft.In one embodiment, the motor head assembly may be motor head assembly 36discussed above. At step 102, an exfoliating head is provided. Theexfoliating head may be a cylindrical drum including a central cavityhaving an opening formed in one of the lateral sides of the drum. In oneembodiment, the exfoliating head may be drum 48 discussed above and mayinclude an anti-microbial agent or compound.

At step 104, the exfoliating head is coupled to a drive shaft of themotor head assembly. In one embodiment, the opening in the lateral sideof the exfoliation head is aligned with the drive shaft, and theexfoliating head is mounted to the drive shaft by moving the headlaterally such that the drive shaft is received within the cavity of thehead. In one embodiment, the exfoliating head is coupled to the driveshaft via a press-fit or friction-fit between the outer surface of thedrive shaft and the inner surface of the head cavity. In anotherembodiment, the exfoliating head is coupled to the drive shaft via asnap-fit engagement. At step 106, an exfoliating device housingincluding a handle is provided, and at step 108, the motor head assemblyis coupled to the exfoliating device housing. In one embodiment, themotor head assembly is coupled to the exfoliating device housing afterthe exfoliating head is coupled to the motor head assembly. In anotherembodiment, the exfoliating drum may be coupled to the drive shaft whenthe motor head assembly is coupled to the exfoliating device housing.

Some embodiments herein relate to a skin removal device for removingdead skin cells from the outer layer of skin of a user. The deviceincludes a motor, a drive shaft, and a drum coupled to the drive shaftsuch that rotational motion generated by the motor is transferred to thedrum. The outer surface of the drum is configured to abrade the skin ofthe user during rotation. The drum includes a cavity extending from onelateral end of the drum along at least a portion of the length of thedrum, and the drive shaft is received within the cavity to couple thedrum to the drive shaft.

In some embodiments, a method of assembling an exfoliating deviceincludes providing an exfoliating device housing having a handle. In oneembodiment, the method includes coupling a motor head assembly to theexfoliating device housing after the exfoliating head is coupled to thedrive shaft. In another embodiment, the exfoliating drum may be coupledto the drive shaft when the motor head assembly is coupled to theexfoliating device housing. In one embodiment, an opening in the lateralside of the exfoliating head is aligned with the drive shaft, and theexfoliating head is mounted to the drive shaft by moving the headlaterally such that the drive shaft is received within the cavity of thehead. In one embodiment, the exfoliating head is coupled to the driveshaft via a press-fit or friction-fit between the outer surface of thedrive shaft and the inner surface of the cavity. In another embodiment,the exfoliating head is coupled to the drive shaft via a snap-fitengagement. Various exemplary embodiments relate to the method ofassembling an exfoliating device, as recited above, and including anycombination of one or more features recited in the detailed descriptionand shown in the figures.

Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects ofthe invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view ofthis description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed asillustrative only. The construction and arrangements, shown in thevarious exemplary embodiments, are illustrative only. Although only afew embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, manymodifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Someelements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple partsor elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwisevaried, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions maybe altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process, logicalalgorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according toalternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes andomissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions andarrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing fromthe scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A skin removal device comprising: a housing comprising a handle portion; a drum assembly removably coupled to the handle portion and comprising: a drum having an abrasive outer surface configured to abrade skin of a user during rotation of the drum; a recess formed in a first end of the drum; a hub coupled to a second end of the drum, the hub comprising an annular groove; and an electromechanical drive system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to rotate the drum, the electromechanical drive system comprising: a drive shaft, at least a portion of which is received in the recess of the drum to rotatably fix the drive shaft relative to the drum such that the drum rotates with the drive shaft about an axis of the drive shaft; and an electric motor coupled to the drum assembly via a plurality of gears and the drive shaft; a mounting bracket extending from the housing and configured to support the drum assembly, the mounting bracket comprising at least one U-shaped support bracket configured to rotatably support the hub of the drum assembly, wherein the support bracket engages the annular groove to rotatably maintain a position of the drum assembly relative to the mounting bracket; wherein the drum assembly is movable in a lateral direction relative to the handle portion to enable insertion and removal of the drum assembly; and wherein when the drum assembly is removed from the housing, the drive shaft remains coupled to the housing.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the drum comprises an antimicrobial agent.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the drum comprises an abrasive sheet of material.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is configured to engage the recess in a friction fit manner.
 5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member configured to provide a biasing force between the mounting bracket and the drum assembly to bias the drum toward the skin of the user during use of the device.
 6. An exfoliating device comprising: a housing comprising a handle portion and a mounting bracket extending from the handle portion; a drum assembly removably coupled to the handle portion and comprising: a cylindrical drum having an abrasive outer surface configured to abrade skin of a user during rotation of the drum; a cavity formed in a first end of the drum; and an end hub coupled to a second end of the drum, the end hub comprising an annular groove; a drive system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to rotate the drum via a drive shaft received in the cavity of the drum assembly; the drive shaft being coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the drum such that during operation the drum rotates about the drive shaft, the drive system comprising an electric motor interconnected with the drive shaft via a plurality of spur gears; a support bracket movably coupled to the mounting bracket, the support bracket comprising an arcuate surface to support the end hub of the drum assembly, wherein the support bracket engages the annular groove to rotatably maintain a position of the drum assembly relative to the mounting bracket; wherein when the drum assembly is removed from the exfoliating device, the drive shaft remains coupled to the drive system.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the drum assembly is insertable into and removable from the housing via a lateral side of the handle portion.
 8. The device of claim 6, wherein the drive shaft is received within the recess to rotationally fix the drum relative to the drive shaft.
 9. The device of claim 6, further comprising a spring member configured to bias the drum relative to the mounting bracket and toward the skin of the user.
 10. The device of claim 6, further comprising a cover configured to engage the handle portion in a snap-fit fashion and substantially cover the drum assembly.
 11. The device of claim 6, further comprising a coating on an outer surface of the drum, the coating comprising an antimicrobial agent making up between 1 and 12 percent of the coating.
 12. The device of claim 6, wherein when the drum is inserted into the skin removal device, the drive shaft acts as a locating feature to align the drum relative to the skin removal device.
 13. The device of claim 6, further comprising a spring providing a spring force biasing the support bracket toward the drum assembly.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein when the support bracket is moved against the spring force, the support bracket disengages from the end hub and allows the drum assembly to be removed from the skin removal device.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the support bracket comprises a post configured to extend at least partially through an aperture in one of the lateral sides of the mounting bracket, the post configured to facilitate movement of the support bracket.
 16. A skin removal device, comprising: a housing comprising a handle portion; a mounting bracket coupled to the handle portion, having first and second lateral sides, and comprising a U-shaped support; a drum assembly removably coupled to the mounting bracket, the drum assembly comprising: a drum configured to rotate relative to the mounting bracket, the drum comprising an antimicrobial agent; and an end hub coupled to a first end of the drum assembly and defining an annular groove, the annular groove engaged by the support of the mounting bracket to at least partially maintain a position of the drum assembly relative to the mounting bracket; and a drive system configured to rotate the drum about an axis of a drive shaft received in a recess formed in a second end of the drum assembly, the drive system comprising a motor and a plurality of gears operably coupling the motor and the drive shaft; wherein the drum assembly is insertable and removable in a lateral direction adjacent at least one of the lateral sides of the mounting bracket and wherein when the drum assembly is removed from the skin removal device, the drive shaft remains coupled to the device.
 17. The device of claim 16, further comprising a spring configured to bias the drum toward the skin of a user during use.
 18. The device of claim 16, wherein the drum assembly comprises a projection configured to extend at least partially through an aperture in one of the lateral sides of the mounting bracket, the projection configured to at least partially maintain the position of the drum assembly relative to the mounting bracket. 